Support



Feb. 20, 1962 K. E. v HUFFMAN SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8,1959 INVENTOR. KATHRYN EV. HUFFMAN BY W I ATTORNEY Feb. 20, 1962 K. E. vHUFFMAN SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8, 1959 INVENTOR.

KATHRYN EV. HUFFMAN ATTORNEY United States Fatent 3,021,637 SUPPORTKathryn E. V. Hufiman, 1510 Sleepy Hollow Road, Covington, Ky. FiledApr. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 805,097 4 Claims. (Cl. 45-57) This inventionrelates to a support, and more particularly to a support or easel forreading matter.

An object of the invention is to provide a support having a pair ofpanels, fabricated from a single length of material, which support maybe placed upon a fiat supporting surface, or which may be securelythough releasably clamped over the edge of a supporting shelflikemember, and which additionally is adapted to include a flat, rigidmember which is slidably associated with the support for providing aflat writing or desk-like surface immediately adjacent and extendingfrom an edge thereof.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein, andas disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support embodying the teachings of thepresent invention, supported on a flat surface.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the man ner in whichthe support may be clamped over the edge or a supporting member.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating another manner in whichthe support may be associated with a supporting surface.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the support device inconjunction with a fiat, rigid, desk-forming member.

With particular reference to the drawings, the numerals and 12 indicategenerally a first and a second panel, the adjacent ends of which areinterconnected by an intermediate panel 14 formed whereby to provide anelongated, open-ended channel 16 which includes an elongate, open-endedthroat 18 remote from and in spaced parallelism with forward or adjacentedge 26 of panel 10.

Panel 12 extends along the upper or open edge 22 of channel 16 in adirection outwardly and away from said first panel 10 for therebyproviding an upwardly and rearwardly inclined supporting surface for abook, pamphlet, paper or the like whose lower edge rests uponintermediate portion 14, of the upper portion of channel 16.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support may be positioned upona substantially flat supporting surface 30 whereby first panel 10 willserve as a base for the device in the manner illustrated, with panel 12in upwardly, rearwardly inclined relationship therewith.

In those instances in which it is desirable or necessary to secure thesupport to a member against accidental and/ or unintentionaldisplacement therefrom, such a member, denoted generally by the numeral4G in FIG. 3, may be utilized for receiving channel 16, in which eventpanel 10 will be disposed beneath and in underlying relationship withthe under-surface 42 of member 40 and whereby intermediate portion 14will project around outer edge 44 of member 40 and thence be disposed inoverlying relationship with the upper surface 46 of said member. In thismanner I have provided simple yet highly effective means for enablingthe support to be securely though releasably associated with the edge ofa table, desk or the like.

With reference now to FIG. 5, the numeral 60 denotes generally a flat,rigid board or element which is dimensioned whereby to be slidablyreceived within the chanice nelway 16 between intermediate panel =14 andpanel 10, for enabling element 60 to be telescopically associated withthe support member. As illustrated in FIG. 5, ele meat 60 provides aflat writing surface which extends from and to one side of the supportmember, said element enabling the support element to be mounted inspanning relationship between a pair of laterally spaced units such as70 which are spaced apart by a dimension greater thanthe overall lengthof the support member.

Element 69 likewise permits the support member to be positioned upon theknees or in the lap of a user for providing a supporting surfacesuitable for use as a writing surface.

The material from which the subject support may be fabricated can bemetal, plastic or the like, the only requirement being that the materialbe sufficiently resilient whereby to permit some flexing along theforward edge of the channel 16.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the device may be utilized by locating end 50of panel 10 upon a supporting surface 30 with end 52 of panel 12 alsoengaging supporting surface 30 whereby the material to be supported willbe disposed at a lesser incline than when using the device asillustrated in FIG. 2.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications may bemade in the structural details of the device, within the scope of theappended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A support fabricated from a single length of resilient sheet materialbent upon itself to provide in its free form an elongate, open-endedchannel having an open throat remote from and in spaced parallelism withan adjacent edge of a first panel such that a support member can bereadily slidably received within said channel at all times, and a secondpanel along the open edge of said channel extending outwardly and awayfrom said first panel at an acute angle thereto such that said secondpanel forms an inclined supporting surface for supporting a book or thelike thereon in a convenient reading position.

2. A support fabricated from a single length of resilient sheet materialbent upon itself to provide in its free form a first and a second panelinterconnected along their adjacent edges by an open-ended, elongatechannel which overlies said first panel and terminates in an open throatremote from and in spaced parallelism with the adjacent edge of saidfirst panel such that a support member can be readily slidably receivedwithin said channel at all times, the second panel extending from theupper edge of said channel in a direction outwardly and away from saidfirst panel at an acute angle thereto such that said second panel formsan inclined supporting surface for supporting a book or the like thereonin a convenient reading position.

3. A support fabricated from a single length of resilient sheet materialbent upon itself to provide in its free form a first and a second panelinterconnected along their adjacent edges by an open-ended, elongatechannel which overlies said first panel and terminates in an open throatremote from and in spaced parallelism with the adjacent edge of saidfirst panel such that a support member can be readily slidably receivedwithin said channel at all times, the second panel extending from theupper edge of said channel in a direction outwardly and away from saidfirst panel, and a flat, rigid member slidably received within saidchannel at an acute angle thereto such that said second panel forms aninclined supporting surface for supporting a book or the like thereon ina convenient reading position.

4. A support fabricated from a single length of resilient sheet materialbent to provide in its free form a first and a second fiat panelresiliently interconnected along their adjacent portions by anintermediate panel which extendsrupwardly from and in spacedrelationship ove the forward portion of the first panel, saidintermediate panel defining an elongate, open-ended channel having anopen throat remote from the forward portion of the first panel and atthe forward portion of the second panel, said channel defining clampingmeans adapted to secure the support to means introduced into saidchannel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSSchumann Jan. 7, 1873 Fuller Apr. 19, 1881 Richards Feb. 1, 1916 StarkJan. 9, 1934 Stark Sept. 24, 1957

